Electric-railway conduit



(No Model.)

J. L. REYNOLDS. BLBc'rnIc RAILWAY ooNnUIT.

No. 498,189. Patented May 23, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH L. REYNOLDS, OF WINTERSET, IOWA.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY CON DUIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 498,189, dated May 23,1893.

Application filed July 23,1892- Serial No. 440,996. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern: y 3e it known that I, JOSEPH LIREYNOLDS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Win- Aterset, in the county ofl\i"adison,in the State of Iowa, have invented a new and usefulElectric-Railway System, of which the following is a speciiication.

My object is to provide an improved trolley support to depend from anelectrically propelled vehicle to enter a slotted conduit containing anelectrical conductor, to provide a continuity of electrical conductorsfrom said conductor in the conduit to a motor carried by said vehicleand to provide improved means for normally closing the top of -saidconduit and at the same time permitting said trolley support to haveaccess to the interior thereof.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction of saiddepending trolleysupport, and in details in the construction of thehinged metal sections for covering the conduit, as hereinafter setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a top or plan view of a section of arailway track, having my improved conduit located between its rails.Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view of the trucks of arailway car, having depending therefrom two trolleys which are placedwithin the conduit as in practical use. Fig. 3 is a vertical, transversesectional view of the trucks of a car, mounted on the track and myimproved conduit located between the rails and having a trolley placedtherein and secured to the car. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional viewthrough the line X-X of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a' detail view of one of thetrolley supports in which means are shown forv its vertical adjustment.

Referring to the accompanying drawings the reference letter A is used todesignate a railway track which is of ordinary construction.

A2 designates a subterranean open-topped conduit having an electricalconductor A3 contained therein upon supports A4.

B designates hinged metal sections mounted upon the top and sides of theconduit A2 and extending from each side thereof and meeting in itsapproximate center. They aresuptions and thereby prevent a movableportion of the hinged sections from attaining avertical position, sothat the said sections will automatically close by gravity whenreleased.

To provide means for conducting a current of electricity from theelectrical conductor within the conduit, to a car, I employ thefollowing devices: D designates a metal shoe adapted to enter theconduit and having formed on its lower end wedge shaped proj ections D2extending in opposite directions and longitudinally of the conduit.These projections D2 are adapted to enter the conduit and when advancedtherein elevate the sections D. D3 designates a trolleysupport extendedthrough the hollow interior of a shoe D and provided with a trolley D4on its lower end. This support is insulated from the shoe D" by means ofa block of insulating material F which allows a vertical adjustment ofthe trolley support. H designates means for providing for the verticaladjustment of the trolley from the car, and in Fig. 5 the lower sectionD5 of the shoe D is made larger than the upper section so that the twosections may be telescoped and J designates aset screw by which thelower section thereof may be fixed in an elevated position.

In its practical operation the shoe D is placed within the conduit andthe trolley d4 lowered into contact with the electrical conductor. Acontinuity of electric conductors is thereby formed between theelectrical conductors A8 and the trolley support D8 which may beconnected with a motor on the car in the common manner. As the car isadvanced the wedge shaped projections of the shoes D engage the endsurfaces of the hinged sections B and elevate them sufficiently to allowthe said shoes to pass through between them. The trolley D4, it will beseen, may readily be thrown out of contact with the electrical con- IOOductor AS by a manipulation of the lever H, or the lower section D5 ofthe shoes D'maybe elevated above the conduit and secured by the setscrew J as shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In combination with a subterranean conduit for electrical conductors,a plurality of comparatively short metal sections hinged at the sides ofthe top of the conduit to meet in the center thereof for the purposesstated, a projection formed integral with the top surface of eachsection to engage the sides of the top-of the conduit and prevent thesection from reaching a vertical position so that said sections willautomatically assume a closed position, for the purposes stated.

2. In combination with an electric car, a shoe depending therefrom andhaving formed on its lower end two Wedge shaped projections oppositelydisposed and extended longitudinally of a car, a trolley supportextended through the said shoe and insulated therefrom and adapted tomove vertically therein, means for elevating the said trolley supportand positely disposed and extended longitudinally of the car and adaptedto enter the conduit, a trolley support extended through the said shoeand insulated therefrom,and adapted to move vertically therein, meansfor elevating the said trolley support and means for elevating the lowerend of said shoe, substantially in the manner set forth and for thepurposes stated.

JOSEPH L. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

THOMAS Ganan, ED. A. NEWLON.

